OVERVIEW:
In this lesson, students will explore how Abraham Lincoln used the power of words in speeches, letters and other documents. In the Introductory Activity, students will watch a segment from the PBS film Looking for Lincoln featuring Lincoln quotes and try to identify the origin of each quotation. In the first Learning Activity, students will closely examine Lincoln’s use of words in the Gettysburg Address and learn that a short speech can be powerful. In the second Learning Activity, students will discuss different reasons for writing letters and review some of Abraham Lincoln’s letters. In the Culminating Activity, students will write their own speeches or letters and then present them to the class.

SUBJECT MATTER:
Social Studies; U.S. History; Language Arts

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
• Quote famous Lincoln phrases and state the speeches or documents from which they come;
• Cite examples of how and by whom Lincoln has been quoted in recent times;
• Discuss why people still quote Lincoln today;
• Express a point of view in a speech or letter;
• Describe different types of letters and reasons why people write letters.

12. Understands the main ideas and supporting details in spoken texts (e.g., presentations by peers or quest speakers, a current affairs report on the radio)

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video:

LOOKING FOR LINCOLN, selected segments

Clip 1:

Abraham Lincoln’s Words

Clip 2:

Quoting Abraham Lincoln

Clip 3:

The Gettysburg Address

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites:Analyzing the Evidence
This primary source document activity helps students examine key Lincoln documents and photographs through a series of questions. In this lesson, students will be exploring the Gettysburg Address and the Letter to Grace Bedell.

Abraham Lincoln Online: Speeches and Writings
This Web site features speeches, letters and other documents by Abraham Lincoln, as well as background information about the documents. During this lesson, students will be reviewing the following letters:

• Computers with internet access (If you do not have internet access in the classroom, you can make printouts of Lincoln’s letters and speeches featured in this lesson and distribute them to your students. See the “Prep for Teachers” section below for details.)
• Computer and projection screen (for class viewing of online/downloaded video segments and “Analyzing the Evidence”)
• Copies of “Famous Quotes Handout 1” and “Famous Quotes Handout 2” (download here) (See the “Prep for Teachers” section below for details.)
• “Letter from Abraham Lincoln” Answer Key (download here)

• 2-3 blank sheets of paper on which to write their speeches and letters
• Pencils, pens and crayons

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web site used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print out and make one copy of the “Famous Quotes Handout 1” for each student.

Print out and make copies of the “Famous Quotes Handout 2.” Cut out the excerpts along the dotted lines. Make enough copies so that each pair of students gets one excerpt. It is fine for multiple groups to have the same excerpt.

Familiarize yourself with the Gettysburg Address document featured in the Analyzing the Evidence interactive. Note: If you do not have internet access in your classroom, print out one copy of the Gettysburg Address for each student.

Familiarize yourself with the Letter to Fanny McCullough, the Letter to Grace Bedell and the Letter of Thanks for White Rabbits (listed in the Web sites section above). Note: If you do not have internet access in your classroom, print out copies of each letter, so that each group of 2-3 students has one letter to review. The same letter can be distributed to multiple groups.

LOOKING FOR LINCOLN is a film by Kunhardt-McGee Productions, Inkwell Films
and THIRTEEN for WNET.ORG in association with Ark Media.
Sole corporate funding for LOOKING FOR LINCOLN is provided by State Farm®.
Major funding is provided by CPB and PBS. Additional funding for education
outreach is provided by the Motorola Foundation.